Alcohol and Other Drug Policy

La Salle University Alcohol and Other Drug Policy

La Salle University encourages and seeks to maintain an academic environment in which individual rights are respected and the health, safety, and welfare of the total community are promoted. While individuals who fulfill the requirements prescribed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are free to choose to consume alcohol, only consumption in accordance with the following policies is permitted.

The following policy, drawn from the Pennsylvania Crimes and Liquor Codes, governs the possession, sale, and consumption of alcohol on University campus:

No person less than twenty-one (21) years of age shall purchase, consume, possess, or transport or attempt to purchase, consume, possess, or transport any alcohol, liquor or malt or brewed beverages on University property or at any University sponsored events. No student or University employee shall transfer or possess a registration card or other form of identification for the purpose of falsifying age to secure any alcohol, liquor or malt or brewed beverages. Nor shall any student or University employee sell, furnish, allow to possess, or give any alcohol, liquor or malt or brewed beverages, or permit any alcohol, liquor or malt or brewed beverage to be sold, furnished, allowed to be possessed, or given to any person under twenty-one (21) years of age.

The University does not prohibit the lawful possession or responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages by students twenty-one (21) years of age or older. This should not be interpreted to mean that the University encourages the use of alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, the University considers intoxication, disorderliness, or offensive behavior deriving from the use of alcoholic beverages to be subject to disciplinary action, regardless of the student’s age. The University prohibits unauthorized use of alcoholic beverages in the academic buildings, in the public areas of student residences, the La Salle Union, other University controlled facilities, and at University sponsored functions on or off campus.

The University strongly encourages students, faculty, and staff to understand the Pennsylvania Crimes and Liquor Codes and the substantial penalties which may result from the violation of this code, as well as relevant Philadelphia city ordinances.

Drugs

Federal and state laws prohibit the possession, use, and distribution of illegal drugs. The sanctions for violating these laws may range from loss of financial aid to restriction of professional licenses upon graduation to mandatory imprisonment coupled with substantial fines. The sanctions for any given offense vary widely, depending on the nature of the offense, the type of drug involved, and the quantity of the drug involved.

For instance, under federal law, simple possession of a controlled substance carries a penalty of imprisonment of no more than one year, plus a fine of an amount between $1,000 and $5,000. If the controlled substance contains a cocaine base and the amount exceeds five (5) grams, the offender will be imprisoned for no less than five (5) years and no more than twenty (20) years, or fined, or both.

Also, under federal law, anyone who is at least 18 years old and who distributes drugs to anyone under 21 will be imprisoned and/or fined up to twice what is otherwise provided by law, with a MINIMUM prison sentence of one year.

Similarly, the Pennsylvania laws that prohibit the use, possession and distribution of drugs are also strict. In addition to fines and/or terms of imprisonment for violations of its drug laws, Pennsylvania recently enacted a forfeiture statute. Under this statute, someone arrested for violating state laws concerning the use, possession or distribution of drugs, is subject to seizure and forfeiture of all property used to accomplish the violation of Pennsylvania’s anti-drug laws.

The University recognizes that the abuse of alcohol or other drugs has numerous long-term negative physical effects on persons who become addicted to these substances. Additionally, there are numerous other health risks associated with substance use/abuse which are common on a university campus. The abuse of alcohol and the resulting impaired judgment may result in vehicular accidents; injuries such as broken bones or burns; unsafe sex resulting in unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease; violence such as fights and date rapes; alcohol poisoning; aspiration of one’s vomit; and alcoholism.

Consultation and diagnostic assessments are available through the Alcohol and Other Drug Education Center (AODEC) which is located in Suite 112 of the Medical Office Building on West Campus. The Director of the AODEC as well as an AODEC Counselor/Educator are available to provide direct service to students and to act as liaisons with city, state, and federal resource agencies. The AODEC professional staff can direct students and staff to resources for education, treatment, and/or counseling for drug and alcohol problems located both on and off campus. The Alcohol Awareness Project and Marijuana Awareness Project facilitated by the AODEC Prevention Specialist serves as an alternative sanction to the fines in the disciplinary/judicial process.